Sayyid Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi: Life and Works

The volume presents a comprehensive study of the life and works of Sayyid Abul Hasan ‘Ali Nadwi (1913-1999). Sayyid Abul Hasan ‘Ali Nadwi is seen as an important scholar in the modern Islamic resurgence who has made significant contributions to contemporary Islamic thought. He was one of the few Indian ‘ulama to have taken seriously the dynamic role of Islam in a multi-religious society. The book discusses the early life, family and education of the scholar and his major writings that are concerned with the themes of the primacy of the Qur’an and the sunnah as harbingers of world civilisation, ishlah (reform) and tajdid (revival) as anchors of Islamic resurgence, the methodological approach of da’wah, Islam and the West, and Islamic order in an Indian setting. With quotations and references from published translations of his Urdu and Arabic works including his autobiography, it details the importance of his coherent approach to the diversity of issues in the twentieth century and the importance of his autobiography Karwan in this context. It deals with his participative role in the Indian mainstream activities, examining the social and spiritual crises facing Muslims. With an overview of contemporary Islamic movements, it takes up his relationship with and contribution to the Tabligh Jama’at, a global movement founded by Mawlana Ilyas noted for its reformist trends. The book will undoubtedly be of interest to scholars and students of Islamic studies.